Liquid level gauge



March 19, 1940. AXSON 2,194,376

LIQUID LEVEL GAUGE Filed April 14, 1938 Patented Marl l9 I LIQUID'LEVEL GAUGE 1' Barney B AxscnyN orth, S. C,

Application Apr-H314; 1938, Serial N0.. 202,082 k Z'Glaim'sf (01." '73- -320) I a Y H This invention relatesto an improved vliquid externally threaded atits lower end" to engage level gauge for checking the amount of gaslor the internally threaded lower end 22 of the casother liquid, in a tank. 7 v 7 ing 13. "A strip, of metal 23 has one'end secured More particularly, it is-an'object of this inven to the outer side of the housing 2 as seen in 5' tion'to provide .a. gauge especially adapted for Figure 3, and extends upwardly and-"outwardly 65 underground tanks having an-indicator member therefrom with its intermediate portion'bent'and extending above the tankand' prefer'ably above disposed in spaced'relationship above theupper the ground level to readily indicate the" amount end of housingZll. The 'oppo-siteend of strip-3.23, of liquid in such tank. i I is turned downwardly, and inwardly and pro- The invention is particularly adapted-to gasojects through a slot 34 515170 the pp p r f '10 line tanks as employed in service stations, where the housingfill. This last mentionedfend offstrip the tanks are buried beneath theground and 3, des nat d fiasupp a pair a ll Where is it important to provide gauges from pending rods 25 having a plate '21 securedlto k v which the attendants may at all times be able to their opposite ends. I

ascertain the amount of fuel in each tank; A Shaft 28 extends throug the ni i More particularly it is an object-of the invenp rt a s its p i ends 'j -r l i tion to provide an improved gauge actuated by bearing 35 in the under side of the intermediate an improved float and enclosed by acasing havp b 0f S p andviil a a 3 w ch ing an open end removably mounted in the tank projects upwardly from plate 21. A disk 32j'is and provided with a transparent cover for View? keyedto the 111313815 P Of Shaft 23 b 1 9 "20 ing the indicator means and for removal of the ing and as S e in Figure 1 is suitablyacali'e. gauge when necessary. P I w 1 brated as at 33. Shaft 23 is providedwith. 'a Other objects and advantages of-the invention p a OV "Which extends f10m..a3 p n will hereinafter become moreifully' apparent from be eath portion 25 to a point substantially' 25mm following description' of the"drawi.n'g which 1 distance above plate 2?, and which makes .25 illustrates a preferred forrn-ofthe invention, and o e comme e ur around the shaft; t for a wherein: f purpose'to'be hereafter explained.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of'th'e gauge, A hollow float body ;"p y annularin Figure 215 a side elevational view ort e gauge shap as sh w rhas a a u wse ur dshown mounted in the casing; whichis shown in to i pp p r n in i ic l n hip -30,

g and position in an opening ina, fluid tank, which is thereto. Plate is provided with ,a pair," of shown fragmentarily, 7 t spaced openings 3'! above the open center of neat Figure 3 is asideelevati'onal view 'of the gauge 5, t rou h extend e rods 26 around as seen in position at right angles to Figure 2, which thev float 35 is disposed. -A loossz; 3851s I 1 v formed'interrnediate"to the ends of plate -36; to 35 Figure 4 is. a horizontalsectional view "taken slidably en Shaft -fil Sliud pr ab y v on the line 4-4 of Figure "2 formed of a heavy gauge wire projects upwardly Referring more particularly to the dra i g therefrom and has its freeend QB turned inwardly wherein like reference characters designate like to engage the" groove B d 40 or corresponding parts throughoutthe' different pair -U shaped a 4| are n 40 ie s, lndesignates generally a'porticn' of a, tank, an opposed relationship to the inner 'side of float shown fragmentarilyin Figure 2, having a con- 35, and depend therefrom to receive the-looped ventional filling pipe H and an internally threadstrains 42 wh are "S o he upper ends ed flanged opening 12. Tank Ill is of convenof thehuoyantblades 43 to pivotally connect the 45 tional form with the possible exception of the blades to the float Blades 43 assist in main-- 45 opening 12, and'is shown merely to illustrate taining float 35 on the surface of the liquid in the application of the invention which will heretank Ill and alsotend to prevent float 35 from inafter be described. g i being. actuated'bya slight surging of theliqu id A cylindrical casing 13 is externally threaded as they will be normally submerged and dison its lower end at M-to engage the'flanged openposed across a relativelywide area of the tank. 5 I

ing i2, and is provided withlenlargedtop l5 hav An arrow or pointer ld is secured to, theining a transparent upper portion l5 hinged at I! termediate portion of the strip 23 and extends adapted to be opened by the handle portion 18. outwardly and downwardly therefrom, with its The gauge designated generally I9, comprises taperedend disposed above the calibration" 33, a a cylindrical housing 20 open at each end and A collar dfi is adjustably mounted on shafts? I and engages, againstthe upper side of portion 25 to prevent the lower end of the shaft from binding in the bearing 3!. Y

A plate 46 is suitablysecured along one edge of portion 25, and depends downwardly therefrom in spaced relationship to shaft 28, to form a stop to limit the upward movement of the float 35. Plate 46 is i provided with a notch or 'recess 41 in its lower edge to receive and accommodate the upper portion of the bushing .33. The plate Z'icarried by rods 26 provides the stop for float 35 in its lower position.

From the foregoing itwill be seen, that the gauge designated generally iii can be inserted.

throug'hthe top I5 of easing it when member it is in its open position, and the threaded portion.

2| may then be connected to the threaded portion 22- to connect housing 20 to: casin'g 'lii after which the lens it can be closed to seal top of casing l3, and the threaded end 64 thereof can then be mounted in the threaded flange 12. itssuming now that float 35'is in its raised positionas seen in Figure 3, the weight of thefioat body 35 and the blades 33' will cause it to slide downwardly until the blades 43 engage theliquid in tank ill, at whichtime they will be swung -out- "weirdly" to a horizontal. position as seen in 'Figure and the weight of body 35 will cause the float to continue to'drop until it reaches a point Whereit'is sustained by its own buoyancy in the fluid. During this, movement stud, 39 will be. movin'g'in groove 34 so that shaft 28 will she revolved to turn disk 82 in a counterclockwise di- "reotion, or in a direction opposite to the arrow 48. Whenin this position, the pointer 4 4 will be above the calibration 33 representing the depth of "the liquid or the amount of the liquid by units of 100 or 1,000 gallons or the like as desired."

additional liquid is pumped from the tank iii theifloats 35 and t3 will move downwardly turn.- ing disk 32 still further in a counterclockwise direction,v or when the tank is refilled: through pipe H floats 35 and it'will be raised thereby to turrr disk 32 in a clockwisedirection as indicated by arrow 58 to indicate the increased amount, of liquid in the tank.

The procedure'described for applying the gauge istopasing i3 and the latter'to tank It may be a reversed to' remove the parts therefrom, or the gauge' ls' may beremoved" from casing it leaving the latter mounted in opening 12. .tBlades 4'31arepivotally'mounted so'thatthey'may fold fwhen' -the float body 35 movesupwardly into housing '20 or when the gauge l5] i's'heing inserted into'orremoved'irom the tank H1.

" Other means may be substituted for. groove M and stud 39 to'turn shaft 28' as the floats 35 and rise or fall. These and various other'modionly intended to illustrate a preferrediorm of ficatio'ns and changes maybe madeandare cone templated, sincethe drawing and description are the invention, and the right is therefore expressly reserved to, make suchvariationsas do not depart from'the spirit and scope of the invention. v

as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A liquid level gauge for tanks comprising a casing having a cylindrical portion open at one end and provided with an enlarged head at the opposite end, ,said' open endheing externally and internally threaded, a sleeve having arise ternally threaded lower end to engage the internally threaded end of said-casing to removably mount the sleeve therein, a bar mounted on the upper end of said sleeve and having one end disposed transversely within the upper part of;

"said sleeve-and its intermediate portion disposed.

aboveandin spaced relationship to said end an d within said head, guide rods secured to said end a'plate connecting the lower ends of said guide tionship to each otherya shaft journaled in the 1 plate; and' in said end and intermediate portion of the bar and. disposed between said guide reds, said shaft having a spiral-groove, a float slidably mounted 'on-lsaidg'uide rods and sha'ftwand provided with ia'finger having an inturned end;

to slidably engage said groove for revolvingfthe shaft as'th'e float isrnoved relatively thereto; a calibrated disk keyed to the upper end oii rid shaft and disposed beneath the intermediate portion or; the bar, and, a'point-er disposed above said disk and secured to-the intermediate portion 9 of saidfbar, the externally threaded end of; the

casing being removably mountedin the threaded opening of tank containing-a liquid Wit-lasaid guide rods projectingdownwardly into that nk whereby said float-will be actuated by the level i the liquid therein to actuate said disk rela tively to a the pointer. l

2. A liquid level gauge comprising a cylindrical I member adapted tube-removably m'ounted in a tank opening; a strap connected to said cylindrig cal member andf-havi-ng-one GlidjdlSQGSQ-d trans= verselyftherein,,.the intermediate portion of {the strap being disposed above said end and above the cylindrical memher; a pointer projectingfouewardly-rrom' said intermediate portion'pguide rods SS'ClllEdi'e'EQ-hl'ld '-depending from said ends in spaced apart relationship to eachother,

plate secured-to thev depending ends of saidrods,

a, shaf t, provided with spiral groove, disposed of the strap; a calibrated disk keyed to the shaft. and positioned beneath the intermediate portion and pointer; and adjacent thereto, and a float slidably mounted or -said rods and provided with THE-am for en ing the spiral groove for rotatingthe shaft aStbefloat moves relatively thereto. y

I BARNEY' B. AXSON.

' betweensaid rods an'd'journaled in said plate and in the said end and intermediate portion 

